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Kansas City man pleads guilty to 'egregious' illegal dumping

Posted at 11:37 AM, Jan 21, 2020
and last updated 2020-01-21 12:37:21-05

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A man responsible for what city officials called "the most egregious act of illegal dumping" reported in Kansas City, Missouri, pleaded guilty on Tuesday morning to a misdemeanor charge of illegal dumping.

John Baccala, a spokesman for KCMO’s Neighborhoods and Housing Services Department, said that 52-year-old Ronald Smith received a 10-day suspended jail sentence, meaning he will not serve any time. Instead, he will need to complete two years of probation, in addition to 50 hours of community service.

According to records, Smith illegally dumped around 85 tires near East 14th Street and Kensington Avenue in September.

Alan Ashurst, an illegal dumping investigator for the city, told 41 Action News in September that the dumping involved so many tires that it warranted felony charges. At the time, Baccala called it "maybe the most egregious act of illegal dumping ever in Kansas City, Missouri."

According to Baccala, the area has been a notorious illegal dumping site for years. In September, the city estimated more than 2,000 tires had been removed at the site over the last year, costing the city around $3,700.